5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a important and practical alternative for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and training (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as essential for job creation and youth skills development from the state.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at examining the point out of readiness of greater education institutions across the nation, ahead of the 2025 academic year.
In the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to acquire delight in attaining artisan expertise as they provide terrific entrepreneurship options.
"I'm very encouraged by what I'm seeing at TVET colleges, I believe they are the future of this country. TVETs are producing artisans with much needed skills [and] also offer opportunities for learners to acquire future skills, such as robotics, AI [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed considerations about student residences along with other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the recognized problems.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Throughout the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by key senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk has also formed part of the delegation, check here assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The problem of funding and administrative difficulties confronted with the NSFAS was inside the spotlight during the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are paid on time with no delays. Delays cause serious challenges for learners; learners need allowances to eat and to buy website hygiene products. This is important for their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe said.
Gondwe embarked on the state of readiness visits following a website plan of action, announced by Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the special meeting of the Post Education check here and Training sector held in January 2025, to establish the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.
The Deputy Minister's oversight is expected to continue esayidi tvet college in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za